Oxygen and Nitrogen Compressor — Three-Series Oil-Free Reciprocating Piston Range

Series A: Oxygen Compressor 0.70–150 MPa · Series B: Nitrogen Compressor 0.40–150 MPa · Series C: Nitrogen Booster Compressor 0.40–40 MPa · Total 113 Standard Models · 5.5–3000 kW

The oxygen and nitrogen compressor series is an oil-free reciprocating piston compression system engineered specifically for the compression of pure oxygen (O₂), pure nitrogen (N₂), and mixed oxygen-nitrogen gas streams across the full pressure range from low-pressure distribution to ultrahigh-pressure cylinder filling and industrial process feed. These two gases represent opposite ends of the reactivity spectrum — oxygen is a powerful oxidiser that ignites hydrocarbon lubricants under pressure and concentration, while nitrogen is chemically inert but requires particular attention to oxygen displacement hazard and sealing integrity. Both require oil-free design using PTFE composite piston rings and dedicated distance-piece isolation, and both are produced in large quantities by cryogenic air separation units (ASUs) and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants whose output must be compressed for storage, pipeline distribution, or industrial process use.

The three-series range covers 113 standard models. Series A — Oxygen Compressor covers 30 models from 1 to 30 m³/min at discharge pressures of 0.70 to 150 MPa, serving medical oxygen, industrial oxygen, steel-making lance oxygen, and high-pressure oxygen cylinder filling. Series B — Nitrogen Compressor covers 49 models from 1 to 399 m³/min at discharge pressures of 0.40 to 150 MPa, serving chemical plant nitrogen blanketing, pipeline purging, high-pressure nitrogen cylinder filling, and nitrogen-atmosphere process applications. Series C — Nitrogen Booster Compressor covers 34 models receiving nitrogen at elevated inlet pressure (from PSA nitrogen generators or pipeline supply) and boosting to 0.40 to 40 MPa, with flow from 3 to 302 m³/min. All three series use PTFE oil-free piston rings, oxygen-compatible or nitrogen-service sealing materials, and explosion-proof or standard enclosed motors appropriate for each gas service.

Drive power spans 5.5 kW to 3,000 kW across the combined range, with voltage options of 380 V and 6–10 kV. Custom single-unit capacity within 5.5 kW to 3,000 kW available on request for all three series. All oxygen compressor models use oxygen-compatible PTFE piston rings, oxygen-rated stainless steel valve assemblies, and oxygen-safe lubricant-free cylinder designs with special degreasing and cleaning of all oxygen-wetted components prior to assembly.

Typical applications: Medical oxygen compression for hospital pipeline supply and cylinder filling · Industrial oxygen for steel making basic oxygen furnace (BOF) lance · Glass furnace oxygen enrichment · Welding and cutting oxygen cylinder filling · Chemical and pharmaceutical oxygen feed · Nitrogen blanketing of flammable liquid storage · Pipeline purging and inerting · Tire inflation nitrogen systems · Heat treatment furnace nitrogen atmosphere · Nitrogen cylinder filling for industrial supply · PSA nitrogen generator output boosting · High-pressure nitrogen for gas-assisted injection moulding · Semiconductor process nitrogen

Series A — Oxygen Compressor

Oil-Free Reciprocating Oxygen Compressor · Discharge Pressure 0.70–150 MPa · Flow 1–30 m³/min · 30 Standard Models

All models use oxygen-compatible PTFE composite piston rings, oxygen-rated stainless steel or Monel valve assemblies, distance-piece crankcase isolation, and full degreasing and oxygen-service cleaning of all wetted components. Micro-positive-pressure inlet (near-atmospheric) from ASU liquid oxygen evaporator or PSA oxygen concentrator output. Custom capacity within 5.5–3,000 kW on request.

Note: “-A” suffix denotes oxygen compressor service. All oxygen wetted components degreased and oxygen-service cleaned per oxygen safety standards before assembly. Custom capacity 5.5–3,000 kW on request.

Series B — Nitrogen Compressor

Oil-Free Reciprocating Nitrogen Compressor · Discharge Pressure 0.40–150 MPa · Flow 1–399 m³/min · 49 Standard Models

All models use PTFE oil-free piston rings with nitrogen-service sealing materials. Micro-positive-pressure inlet (near-atmospheric) from ASU nitrogen output or PSA nitrogen generator. Covers the complete range from small 5.5 kW nitrogen blanketing supply units to large 3,000 kW high-flow industrial nitrogen compressors. Custom capacity within 5.5–3,000 kW on request.

Note: “-N” suffix denotes nitrogen compressor service. Suffix /4, /7, /14, /40, /150 indicates discharge pressure in bar gauge (0.4, 0.7, 1.4, 4.0, 15.0 MPa respectively). Custom capacity 5.5–3,000 kW on request.

Series C — Nitrogen Booster Compressor (PSA Output and Pipeline Booster)

Nitrogen Booster Compressor Receiving Elevated Inlet Pressure from PSA Generators or Pipelines · Discharge Pressure 0.40–40 MPa · Flow 3–302 m³/min · 34 Standard Models

All Series C models receive nitrogen at elevated inlet pressure from an upstream PSA nitrogen generator or nitrogen pipeline supply and boost to higher process pressures. Multi-stage configurations (twin-column two-stage through four-column multi-stage) are matched to the overall pressure ratio from the specific inlet pressure to the required discharge pressure. PTFE oil-free piston rings and nitrogen-service sealing materials throughout. Custom capacity 5.5–3,000 kW on request.

Note: Series C model suffix “/4~40”, “/4~200”, “/4~400” indicates inlet pressure 0.40 MPa with discharge pressure 4.0, 20.0, or 40.0 MPa respectively. All Series C models receive nitrogen at 0.40 MPa inlet from PSA nitrogen generator or pipeline supply. Custom capacity within 5.5–3,000 kW on request.

Oxygen vs. Nitrogen Compression — Why These Gases Need Dedicated Equipment

The Oxygen Compressor — Fire Risk from Hydrocarbon Contamination

Compressing high-concentration oxygen with any hydrocarbon present — including traces of lubricating oil — creates an extreme fire and explosion hazard. Hydrocarbons ignite spontaneously in high-pressure oxygen at temperatures far below the normal auto-ignition temperature in air, because concentrated oxygen dramatically lowers the activation energy for oxidation. Even a trace of mineral oil entering the compression cylinder of a high-pressure oxygen compressor under pressure can initiate a fire that propagates at sonic velocity through the compressor and connected piping, with catastrophic structural failure. For this reason, all oxygen compressor wetted components are fabricated exclusively from oxygen-compatible materials — no carbon steel, no copper alloys in valve springs (which can form copper oxides that act as ignition catalysts), and no lubricating oil anywhere in the gas path. Piston rings are PTFE composite, valve springs are stainless steel or Hastelloy, and all cylinder components are fully degreased with oxygen-compatible solvents and handled in clean-room conditions before assembly.

The Nitrogen Compressor and Booster — Inert But Safety-Critical

Nitrogen is non-flammable, non-toxic, and chemically inert, but it is an asphyxiant — it displaces oxygen from confined spaces and can cause rapid unconsciousness without warning, because it is colourless, odourless, and produces no physiological sensation of oxygen deficiency until loss of consciousness. Nitrogen compressor rooms must have oxygen-deficiency monitors with alarms at 19.5% oxygen concentration and automatic ventilation activation. Pipeline nitrogen systems must be clearly labelled and isolated from oxygen or air systems to prevent cross-connection. The Series C booster compressors, which receive PSA nitrogen at 0.40 MPa and boost to 4.0 to 40.0 MPa, are particularly important to operate correctly: the nitrogen purity from PSA generators is typically 99.5% to 99.999% N₂ with residual oxygen of 1 to 5,000 ppm, and this residual oxygen does not cause a fire hazard in nitrogen compression, but must be verified as within specification for the downstream process requirements.

Stage Count and Ultra-High Pressure Design

Both the oxygen and nitrogen series extend to very high discharge pressures — 15.0 MPa (150 bar) for cylinder filling in the standard four-stage models, and beyond this for special-order high-pressure variants. Four-stage oxygen compression from near atmospheric to 15.0 MPa requires careful staging with intermediate inter-stage cooling and pressure-class-rated cylinder bodies, valves, and piping for each stage. At these pressures, the cylinder bore for the final stage is very small — typically 20 to 50 mm bore — and valve sizing becomes critical to maintain adequate flow area at the small bore. The Series A and B four-stage models use progressively smaller bore and higher wall thickness cylinders for each successive stage, with all-stainless steel high-pressure components in the final stage for oxygen service.

5 Core Advantages of This Oxygen and Nitrogen Compressor Range

Typical Application Scenarios

Installed at Customer Sites

Oxygen and nitrogen compressors from this three-series range are operating in medical gas plants, industrial gas filling stations, steel mills, chemical plants, and PSA nitrogen booster installations. The following images show representative customer site installations.

How to Specify an Oxygen or Nitrogen Compressor

Frequently Asked Questions — Oxygen and Nitrogen Compressor